COVID-19 outbreak declared in Whitehorse

Monday, 14 June 2021 13:50

By Dylan MacNeil

Yukon’s Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Catherine Elliott speaking at this morning's COVID-19 update.

Yukon’s Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Catherine Elliott says spread of infection is linked to high school graduation events.

Yukon’s Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Catherine Elliott has declared a COVID-19 outbreak in Whitehorse.

There are now 21 active cases in the territory. That’s 10 new infections since Friday. Dr. Elliot says 9 of them are linked to this outbreak and are unvaccinated. Of the 24 cases announced since June 4, one was fully vaccinated. Dr. Elliot says that person had mild illness. They say that though it is rare, vaccinated people can get infected, usually by someone they spend prolonged time with in a household.

The outbreak is of the Gamma variant, which was first recognized in Japan and linked to travel to Brazil. There are also outbreaks of it in Lower British Columbia. Not a lot is known about the Gamma variant. Dr. Elliot says it is more infectious but vaccines still fight it.

Dr. Elliot says they don’t know the source of the infections, but they do know how it is spreading.

The outbreak is linked to youth and adults who are unvaccinated and attended organized and informal high school graduation events, as well as adults who are socializing in close proximity at locations such as at bars and house parties.

“What concerns me right now is that the diseases being spread, have been spread among people who have been in close contact without physical distancing. Some of these people know each other, some people could have spread to people they don’t know. With this type of contact, the possibility for spread is high. My hope is that the spread has already happened and everyone has started again following the safe six and keeping their distance, isolating when sick, etcetera, and wearing their mask. That’s my hope. My concern is that with all of the fatigue that we all have with COVID-19, people are finding this hard to do.” Says Dr. Elliot.

Anyone who attended a graduation event or knows they have been in contact with someone who is infected is being advised to self isolate. If you are fully vaccinated, you only need to isolate if you are in prolonged household contact with an infected person.

Porter Creek Senior Secondary School’s prom was scheduled to take place this past Saturday but it got canceled after a student was infected with COVID-19.

Youth vaccine clinics started up at the beginning of this month. Dr. Elliot says that at the moment, there are not fully vaccinated young people in any significant numbers.

The source of the outbreak continues to be investigated.

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